Taking a Stab
by I love dance
Summary: Han wonders why Luke is so terrified of something. Oneshot, humor, friendship.


**Title:** Taking a Stab  
**Characters: **Luke, Han  
**Genre:** Humor, friendship  
**Summary:** Han wonders why Luke is so terrified of something.  
**Disclaimer:** I'm just stopping by for a visit to a galaxy far, far away and borrowing some of George Lucas's characters. ;) I'll try not to butcher them before returning them.  
**Notes:** Kinda pointless but the bunny bit

Hope you enjoy! Comments are _very_ much appreciated! :)

* * *

"Ow!"

Luke Skywalker bit back a curse and jerked his hand back in sudden surprise. His wide-eyed, horrified expression quickly turned into a scowl as he glared at the tropical flower. Offended, the youth rubbed at his newly-injured finger.

"Han, I think this plant just bit me." Luke put his finger in his mouth and started sucking on it.

"Don't do _that_!"

"What?" the youth started to say, but Solo quickly jerked his hand away from his mouth. The Corellian would've rolled his eyes, had he not been so concerned. The kid could be such a kid sometimes.

"Because it could be poisonous!" Han's worry voiced itself in frustration. Luke sulked, looking away and cradling his injured hand while the Corellian studied the unfamiliar flower intently.

"I don't know what that thing is," he murmured after a moment, anger rapidly dissolving into apprehension. He turned to look back at Luke, finding him pouting- as he very well knew how to do- and squeezing his hand like it really hurt. Solo's features softened. "Let me see your hand, kid."

Luke offered it to him and Han gently examined it.

"I didn't think flowers bit." Luke said, wincing.

Solo smiled through his concern. "Carnivorous ones do. I'll bet you didn't even know they existed, though."

Luke shook his head no.

"Maybe next time you'll listen when I tell you to leave well enough alone."

Luke agreed. "I'm never going to touch a flower again. Not even smell one. That hurt. It still does."

The youth's finger was already starting to swell at the site of injury and there was a rapidly spreading rash radiating across his hand.

Solo retrieved a tube of salve from his pack. "Here." He gently dabbed some on Luke's hand. "This'll hold you till we get back, kid." He turned and put the salve back in the small pack he'd set down on the ground.

"Will I- …Am I gonna be okay?" Luke asked. When Solo turned back around the youth looked pale and worried all of a sudden.

"Well, you're still standing here. That's a good sign." The Corellian tried to joke. When he found that didn't even get a little smile, he put his hand on Luke's shoulder.

"I'll make you a deal."

Luke looked at him quizzically as Solo handed him the light pack and helped him to shoulder it.

"Just in case any more nasty flowers try and bite you, you carry that and I'll carry you." Solo crouched down and let Luke climb onto his back.

"I've got my lightsaber if any of them do," Luke added in jest, latching his arms around Han's neck and smiling as the older man stood up. Han could tell from the kid's voice that he was more relaxed.

"Well good." he said cheerfully, forcing the worry from his own voice. "We should be fine then."

Solo set off with a quickened pace. He had to get the kid to the med-center soon. There was a small chance that the bad-tempered, cantankerous plant really had been poisonous.

* * *

"So it's not poisonous."

"That is correct, sir." The all-too-familiar robotic voice of Two-One-Bee confirmed Han's diagnosis and the Corellian sighed quietly in relief. He noticed Luke's shoulders sag as he did the same.

"He will need an injection with antibodies to prevent the virus and ward off infection, but Commander Skywalker is expected to make a full recovery."

Han grinned and squeezed Luke's forearm reassuringly, and the boy smiled back though he looked a bit confused.

"Injection?" Luke asked Han quietly as Two-One-Bee turned back to face the computer console. The medical droid searched through Luke's records.

"A shot, kid." Han said, and suddenly Luke was expressionless. He paled and seemed to tense up on the medical bunk. Solo didn't notice right away, as he was busy watching Two-One-Bee.

"Sir, your records show that you've never been immunized against any viruses." Two-One-Bee turned to face Luke. "Is this correct?"

"Huh?" Luke said, startling out of his daze.

The robot repeated the information and Luke looked up at Solo, confused. He couldn't think straight at the moment, and didn't even remember what immunized meant.

"Have you ever had a shot, kid," Han explained patiently and Luke shook his head no, looking frightened.

"I can't believe that!" Solo exclaimed. He spoke to the droid. "How has he even- I mean, don't they check stuff like that before you sign on with this crazy -" Then he stopped mid-sentence. He suddenly remembered where Luke had come from. A certain backwater planet so far out of reach its inhabitants probably never even thought about off-world diseases.

"Oh," was all he said.

"I suggest immunizing him against a few of the viruses today, then coming back the next week for the remainder."

Solo was still in disbelief. This poor kid wasn't protected from anything. All those diseases- nasty, life-threatening viruses- and yet Luke had never been really sick. It was more than luck. The kid had someone or something looking out for him. "I guess so," Solo finally muttered and Two-One-Bee left the room.

There was silence aside from the faint humming of the air conditioner. Then an unexpected sniffle from Luke brought Solo back. Han was unprepared for what he saw.

"Kid?" Silent tears were tracing down Luke's cheeks, despite his best efforts to hold them back.

"What's the matter, Luke? Tell me what's wrong." Han gently brought Luke's chin up.

Luke didn't answer right away. He was trembling and found he couldn't talk. Perplexed but realizing he wouldn't get an answer until the youth was calmer, Han pulled Luke into a hug and started gently rubbing his back. "'s okay, kid," he said softly. "Shhh. You're okay."

Han racked his brain for what could be making his little brother cry. Was it some type of crazy reaction to the plant? Was he in pain? He hated not knowing how to fix things.

"Hey," he said gently and started rubbing Luke's shoulders. "Suppose you tell me what's going on."

"Just let me die, H-Han. I d-don't want to get shot. I'll probably die anyway." Luke's voice was coming out younger and hitching.

"What?" Solo almost laughed despite the whole situation. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. The kid surprised him at every turn.

"You mean _shots_, kid. Not _shot_."

"You mean it's more than once?"

This time Han did laugh. He understood now, at least in part.

Luke looked at him through teary eyes in disbelief. He couldn't believe the Corellian would laugh about something like this. He might not even live to see another day and here Han was, grinning from ear to ear about it.

"Is that what you're all upset about?" Solo's humor was replaced by concern again upon seeing Luke's hurt expression. "Kid, it's nothing to cry about." He brushed at the remaining tears on Luke's cheeks. "Nothing at all. Did you think we were just gonna stand you up against the wall and shoot you?"

"K-kinda. That's what Fixer and Cammie said. And Windy."

"Who?"

Luke took a steadying breath as realization slowly dawned on him. "I'm gonna kill those guys," he muttered.

"What?" Solo asked, going over to the nearby counter and retrieving a tissue. He handed it to Luke. "They're the ones who got you all shook up? I think I'm gonna kill them too."

Luke would've smiled at Han's protectiveness if he hadn't been so angry, embarrassed for even believing something Fixer said. He didn't know whether to be more frustrated at his "friends" for lying, or himself for being so gullible. It was a long time ago- he'd only been a small child. It was a subconscious memory that stayed at the back of his mind and created an absolute terror, a phobia Luke was unaware he had until now.

"Are these guys at the base?"

"On Tatooine." Truth was, Luke didn't really know if they were still there. If the Imperials had gotten to them… His remaining anger quickly evaporated and Luke didn't know quite how to feel. Remorseful. Foolish maybe.

Han patted his knee. "Well whatever they told you, you should try and forget it. It's far from the truth."

Luke nodded, then watched his friend curiously as Solo headed over to the counter. Without hesitation the Corellian started opening and closing cabinet doors. When his search proved unsuccessful, he moved on to the drawers.

"Han, what are you looking for?" Luke couldn't help but smile at his friend's boldness. The medical center could easily throw them out for searching through their supplies, but Solo didn't seem to care in the least. The Corellian had nerve, and courage, and that was part of what made him Han.

"Han?" Luke asked again after a while.

Solo checked the last drawer then gave up, disgruntled. "Ah, nevermind." He came back over.

"I wanted to show you what a shot really looks like, but I suppose you'll find out soon enough."

Luke grimaced in agreement and at the same time Two-One-Bee entered, pushing a cart. Skywalker peered over at the tray atop the cart, then back at Han.

"I've seen one. Can we go now?"

Solo grinned. "Nice try, Junior."

"Really Han-"

"Really Luke, we can't have you walking around not protected from diseases. A lot of them are deadly and there's no cure." He started gently rolling up Luke's sleeve. "You know I wouldn't make you do something if it wasn't for your own good."

"No," Luke agreed, considering the other's words. He knew Han was right, and perhaps the more reassuring part was knowing he cared. A great deal

"I'm staying with him." Solo informed Two-One-Bee, and the droid had long since learned not to argue with him. It was uncanny how intelligent robots could be.

Han was watching Luke eye the syringes nervously. "Hey," he lightly nudged the boy. "You'll do fine, kid." Without looking back up, Luke nodded.

When the droid started cleaning off Luke's arm, Han grabbed hold of his hand. Luke looked up at him and Solo winked reassuringly. The kid's worried expression faded quickly into a trusting smile, and the Corellian found himself grinning back.

As soon as the first shot was over, Luke started to laugh quietly. At first, Solo worried he was crying, but one look at his face told him otherwise. Then he almost questioned what Two-One-Bee had put in that shot.

"Do we normally laugh when in pain, Junior?" Han asked, his lips tugging upward in puzzled amusement

Gone was the childhood phobia Luke had been holding onto. "It's not even bad," he said, shaking with silent, relieved laughter.

"I told you" Solo was bemused. Luke had to be one of the easiest patients Two-One-Bee had ever had, besides the shaking from nervous laughter. _Crazy kid. Sits there giggling while he's getting stabbed. _

Han laughed quietly again to himself and squeezed the boy's hand. Leave it to Luke. The kid surprised him at every turn.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed. Comments are greatly appreciated, but please no flaming! :)


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